The War That Left Us Broken
by Altesse Royale
Summary: The Plan was supposed to be easy. Fool-proof. Perfect. So cleverly and carefully planned, so wonderfully ridiculous, that it had to work. But we were only teenagers; stupid, scared teenagers who believed in silly plans like ours. Yet we were trapped in a violent, adult place full of war, hate and rage that we knew nothing about. The plan didn't stand a chance.
1. Prologue

_**This story is AU, set from "Locked Up!". It's my take on what could have actually happened in Yerba. I have tried to keep the characters as in character as I can, but they may become OC as the story progresses.**_

* * *

_**Prologue**_

_The plan was supposed to be easy._

_Fool-proof._

_Perfect._

_So cleverly and carefully planned, so wonderfully ridiculous, that it had to work._

_But we were only teenagers; stupid, scared teenagers who believed in silly plans like ours. Yet we were trapped in a violent, adult place full of war, hate and rage that we knew nothing about._

_The plan didn't stand a fucking chance._

**xxxxx**

In 2011, seven American students and their teacher went on vacation to Yerba.

They had no idea that this week long trip, would instead turn into six long, horrifying years trapped in the Yerbanian Civil War.

Now, exactly one year after their escape, the survivors tell their stories.*

_*Conversations and certain events described in this book may not be completely accurate, due to PTSD, trauma, and the general passing of time. The survivors have decided to simply 'fill in the blanks' as best they could._

**xxxx**

'_**The War That Left Us Broken: A True Story' (Published March 15th, 2018)**_


	2. Chapter One

_**This story is written as a 'book' published by the Victorious characters after the fact. The (Chapter), (POV) and (Date) are all not part of the book. I've just added them in as a way to make it a bit less confusing. At the end of each (Chapter) it will also be stated which section of the 'book' the (Chapter) was taken from, as each (Chapter) is simply an excerpt from the 'book'.  
The excerpts will all be taken from a 'part' of the 'book'. The 'book' has five parts. Each 'part' has its own set of 'chapters' and is as follows:**_

_**Part I: Everyone  
Part II: Jade and Tori  
Part III: Andre, Cat and Beck  
Part VI: Trina and Robbie  
Part V: Everyone  
**_

_**Different (Chapters) of the story will swap between 'chapters' of the 'book', but I am striving to not have them swap between 'parts' so each 'part' within the story will be in chronological order. **_

_**I hope that makes sense. XD Please feel free to PM me however if you are still confused. Enjoy. = )**_

* * *

_**(Chapter One)**_

**_(Jade)_**

**_(7:00pm, 8__th__ April 2011)_**

Everyone knew their places, the routine, the escape route. The Plan. Even the prisoners were cooperating, thanks to that man-lady Sheema.

It was faultless.

We were going to slip out while the other prisoners distracted the guards and the Chancellor and they'd be none the wiser. Normally I wasn't used to being so giddy, but we were so close to freedom; and even though it was in the form of Sikowitz and a duck truck, I was feeling optimistic.

"Hello bodies, make clapter for Tori Vega and the kids from Hollywood Arts!"

We walked out into the performance area accompanied by loud applause. There were about 50 people sitting, waiting, intrigued as to what they were about to see. We all seemed calm on the outside, though there was tension vibrating in the air. We could all feel it. My heart started pounding. I hoped to God that we'd pull this off.

Tori introduced us. "People of Yerba, we dedicate this performance to you and your esteemed Chancellor." She pauses and then adds, in an off-beat tone, "What a...swell guy."

The music started. I Want You Back. I have great respect for the Jackson Five. If I will give Tori credit for anything, she can pick music.

The dance went smoothly. The prisoners, apart from Sheema who looked like a lost puppy, weren't actually that bad. The crowd was smiling and bobbing along; enthralled by the performance. Even the Chancellor seemed to be enjoying himself.

"And give me back what I lost!" Andre sung. I started to concentrate. Here it was; the pinnacle point of our plan. We moved to the back of the dancers, out of the Yerbanians' line of sight, and stealthy slipped out behind the curtain to the passageway outside as the song was finishing.

We could hear clapping and cheering start, adrenaline pushing us along, just waiting for a soldier to stop us in our tracks.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting sound wailed up from inside the prison. Alarms. At least we were expecting them.

We continued to scurry along the passage. In our urgency to escape, it seemed to be taking forever to find an exit, though in reality it was only about half a minute. Finally, we found a steel door. Beck carefully peeked out from it first, in case soldiers were standing guard; thankfully, it was just Sikowitz, Rex, and a duck truck like he had said.

"Oh! Hurry up! Get in the duck truck!" Sikowitz exclaimed. Beck held the door open while the rest of us scrambled through. Andre and I jumped up first. Robbie grabbed Rex on his way up, almost falling from Trina pushing him in. Cat, going too slowly, was lifted up by Sheema, who then hopped in after her.

"Wait!" Sikowitz grabbed Tori's arm as she went to get in, "Who's that guy?"

"He's," Tori panted, out of breath, "a woman."

Tori scurried onto the truck as Sikowitz muttered, "Dear Gandhi," and ran to the front, taking off as quickly as he could.

"Hurry!"

"Drive faster!"

"They're coming!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

"Hurry up! Oh, dear God, let's go!"

Everyone was shouting at Sikowitz, desperate to get as far away as possible.

In the back with us we found our wallets, chargers and phones; all that Sikowitz had managed to grab without seeming suspicious. Robbie handed them out to us. Mine was dead. So was everyone else's.

"You could have had the decency to charge them before you rescued us," I said to Sikowitz through the cabin.

"I think he was a little busy Jade," Tori countered.

"Doing what? He had nothing to do all day while he waited for us. Charged phones would have been useful for communication."

We turned a corner, and the road turned into a mountain path, barely big enough for our truck to drive along. Sikowitz kept speeding along; the truck bouncing and rocking from the uneven path underneath us. We all looked at each other nervously.

"Ah, Sikowitz, do you maybe want to slow down?" Beck called out. The wheels spitted more rocks over the ledge. I began to feel nauseous.

"What, why?"

"Because we're about to plunge to our deaths over that cliff!" I shouted back.

Sikowitz thankfully, slowed down, and we all fell into silence. We were all exhausted, trying to sleep in that prison had been a lost cause. I closed my eyes, and tried to rest comfortably against the metal duck cages. I was ready for a shower, decent food and my bed.

This had been a nightmare trip; all Tori's fault. She didn't exactly do the best research on that filth ridden hotel.

I must have fallen asleep, as I was startled awake when the truck jolted again, and Andre spoke up, "Are you sure this is the only way—"

He was cut off by Cat's terrified scream and the unmistakable sound of a gunshot.

Sheema slumped over; a bullet buried in her skull. We all started shouting and screaming, horrified, as we registered Sheema's blood and brain matter on our clothes and faces. More shots were fired; short flashes in the trees. The ducks were going wild; feathers flying everywhere. Sikowitz bellowed to be heard over us, and ordered us to lie down in the back.

He started driving like a mad man; zipping wildly along the road, duck cages tumbling off down the chasm.

It was cramped all squashing down behind the cages, not that anyone was complaining. Beck and Tori had Cat between them; both girls sobbing uncontrollably, eyes squeezed shut, to avoid seeing Sheema's dead eyes staring back at them. I was holding onto Andre for dear life, a small comfort for both of us. Robbie was crying too; clutching Rex in terror, while Trina was curled up in a ball, chanting,"This isn't happening, this isn't happening', although I could barely hear her over the ducks' distressed cries.

Another bullet fired, and there was a _BANG_ as one of our tires burst. Unbalanced, the car tipped sideways as Sikowitz instinctively braked, and the truck hurtled off the road and down the ravine.

Sheema's dead weight was thrown out off the truck; side-swiping Tori and taking her and Cat with her. Cages smashed into us, feathers coating me and ducks flapping frantically. The noise was deafening as we slammed into the ground, the wooden frame on the truck snapping and splintering like a twig, while its metal body groaned as it con-caved in. The rest of us managed to hold on; my whole body vibrating from impact. As my vision dimmed, I remember hearing Andre mutter;

"Fuck."

Touché.

_(__**Excerpt from Chapter Five of '**_**The War That Left Us Broken'**_** 'Part I'**__**)**_


	3. Chapter Two

**_Chapter Two_**

**_(Jade)_**

**_(7:21pm, 8_****_th_****_ April 2011)_**

Everything was quiet. No more screaming, no more gunshots. Just silence.

Someone was nudging me.

"Jade? Jade! Wake up."

I pried open my eyes. Beck was sitting above me, concern clouding his eyes.

"Wha…Beck…Are you okay?" I slurred out. My head was throbbing, and my body ached; I could already feel the bruises blooming underneath my skin. I groaned as Beck helped me sit up.

"I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises."

I scanned the scene. The truck was a pile of smoking rubble, putrefying the air. All the ducks were dead; some decapitated or sliced up by their cages, others squashed to a pulp; blood and feathers coating the ground. It was an ugly sight. I continued to gaze around, but I couldn't see anyone else.

I looked at Beck in fear, "Cat…Andre..."

"Everyone's just a bit further in. Come on." He secured his arms around my back and slowly lifted me to stand.

My head started spinning. I hoped I didn't have a concussion. I couldn't remember ever hitting my head, but the chance of it was still pretty high.

We slowly made out way around the debris. As we went past the cabin of the truck, I could just make out from the shadows a limp, bloody arm hanging out the window.

Oh God. Sikowitz.

I started to walk closer, my mind not thinking logically, I think I just needed to know if it was true.

"Jade," Beck grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Sikowtiz…"

"Yeah. He's dead." Was all Beck said, pulling me close to his chest. We stood there like that, silent, for a few minutes, then he continued to pull me along to the others.

I couldn't believe it. We couldn't be stranded here, just us kids. That was too frightening to comprehend.

Beck helped me through the low branches and bushes going deeper into the forest, until we reached a small clearing. I released the breath I hadn't even realised I was holding when I saw everyone else, alive.

Trina sat up on a large rock, her face contorted with pain. Her hands gripped the side of the stone tightly, her knuckles turning white. Andre was kneeling in front of her, wrapping her ankle tightly in a browned bandage. A First Aid kit lay open beside him on the dirt, its contents minimal; just another bandage and what looked to be a thermometer, but I couldn't be sure. The latch looked broken, probably from the crash, but in this country, who knew for sure. At least it had been salvageable, that was something.

Miraculously, it looked like Trina's sprained ankle was the only real injury. Well, the ones that we knew of anyway.

Cat sat about a metre over, just staring straight ahead, eyes glazed over, Tori's arm draped around her shoulder. Tori seemed to be murmuring words of comfort; though her face was pale and strained. I'd never seen Cat so quiet before, and for some reason it scared me more than anything. She was so fragile and innocent. Something like this could alter her forever. Hell, it's probably altered all of us forever.

Robbie was sitting by himself, eyes boring into the ground. He was cradling Rex in his arms and he looked like he was in terrible anguish; like he'd lost a real child. The puppet was completely pulverised; much worse off than he had been when Tori had sucked him into that giant industrial fan.

It was obvious we were all in shock. Deep shock. This was becoming all too frightening. It wasn't a game anymore.

"Oh, good." Andre attempted a smile as he saw me. "You're okay."

What? Okay?_ Okay? _I was definitely not okay. All of us were far from okay."No, this isn't okay!" I practically screamed at him. "Soldier's _shot_ at us! With actual guns! Sikowitz is dead, and we're stuck here in this God forsaken country!"

"Where are the soldiers now?" Tori's eyes were wide with terror. "Why aren't the rest of us dead? Why have they stopped?"

"Well, we don't have time to wonder about any of that now. We can't just sit here." Beck piped up. "We need to get to cover. We need to hide." Thank God someone was thinking logically.

"Well there's no way Trina can walk far on this ankle." Andre said. "We'll need to transport her somehow."

"Sheema." We all snapped our heads to Robbie, his quiet voice startling us. "We can use her jumpsuit as a hammock or something."

Everybody was silent with unease. I could tell what we were all thinking. Whilst it was a brilliant idea, nobody wanted to be the one to strip Sheema's lifeless body, to have to look into those blank eyes.

Beck steadied me against a tree, removed his arm from around my waist and lifted his chin. "I'll go get it."

"I'll go too." Andre stood up. Beck gave him a small nod and the two boys walked off back to the truck, disappearing behind some bushes.

It wasn't long before they returned, eyes steely determined, obviously affected by what they had seen. They laid the material on the ground and Robbie brought over some thick branches they had collected, tying each one firmly with the arms and legs of the suit. Andre picked Trina up and gently seated her in the middle of the makeshift stretcher, then Beck and Andre gripped two branches each and settled it carefully over their shoulders.

Tori helped Cat to stand, supporting her weight as Cat sagged, her body and mind still far, far away.

Before we left, I collected up our wallets and purses, which thankfully only had suffered minor wear and tear, so that at least we had our ID's with us. Our phones were all smashed, completely useless now, so they were left with the truck. We began walking away, our destination unclear. Robbie's eyes filled with tears as he left Rex, twisted and broken on the ground, behind him.

We must have been walking for hours. I couldn't keep going for much longer. We'd found a creek early on to quench our thirst; it had tasted disgusting, but it was running water and so it had been safe to drink, and probably the only safe water we'd find for miles. We hadn't seen any hint of the guards, but we still hadn't passed any civilisation yet either. We'd had a few breaks, but the worry of being caught meant we couldn't stop for long. Everyone was tired and anxious; especially the boys, who were still supporting Trina on the jumpsuit.

The moon shone steadily, illuminating our path with a weak beam. Having to find shelter in the dark made it just all the more impossible. We needed to find something soon. Really soon.

Finally, after what seemed like another hour or two, Tori spoke up. "What's that over there?"

We all turned to look. It was quite a way into the distance, but was most definitely a building of some sort. A tall, bulky shadow. I could feel my heart start to race. We'd found something. At last.

My hopes were dashed, however, as Beck told us not to get too excited, as it could be someone's house, which meant we'd have to keep going.

The boys lowered Trina to the ground, and Beck silently stalked off towards the building. We all waited in anticipation. I was rocking on the balls of my feet, ready to run if needed. But it proved unnecessary. Beck quickly jogged back over to us and said that it was what looked to be an abandoned shed. We could stay there.

It wasn't an ideal place, that's for sure, but it had four walls and a roof, so it would have to do. The door was heavy steel, and it took both Beck and Andre to slide it open. The inside was concrete floor and tin walls; echoed but not completely empty. Stacked against the wall were a couple of dozen blankets. Thank God something was in our favor tonight.

We all took about three or four each and huddled together, settling down to sleep. But my body just wouldn't let me. I was overtired; my body sore and drained but my mind buzzing with fear and adrenaline.

It was if then, with nothing else to occupy my thoughts, that it really hit me.

I didn't cry often, it wasn't something I particularly enjoyed doing, but at that moment, stuck in a foreign country, hunted by soldiers, with Sikowitz dead and absolutely no way of getting back home, I burst into tears.

We were going to die.

**_(Excerpt from Chapter Six of '_****The War That Left Us Broken' ****_'Part I')_**

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**_Please R&R. = )_**


	4. Chapter Three

_**Chapter Three** _

**(****_Tori)_**

**_(11:17pm, 12_****_th_****_ April 2011)_**

There was a frantic sound, almost like a moan, "..._Faster...oh…oh God.._."

"_Fuck.._._please...yes..._"

I could hear Beck and Jade from across the room. I think everyone could, we all just ignored it. They were trying to be quiet, and they had situated themselves well away, which I guess was something. We were all stressed, and scared, and if this is how they wanted to deal with it, at least they had a way. It was just unfortunate that the stupid shed echoed much too loudly.

I folded my pillow over my head, hoping to muffle the sounds. Cat was lying next to me, sobbing silently into her blanket. I shuffled over a few centimetres and wrapped her into my arms, pulling her close. She buried her head against my shoulder, relishing in the comfort.

It was pitch black in the shed, a no moon night. The air was cool, but not cold, which I was thankful for, as the shed had no insulation whatsoever. I could only just make out the shapes of the others all situated to Cat's right. Robbie's bed was empty; his turn to keep watch. I started stroking Cats hair as her whimpers grew louder. She'd cried almost non stop since the crash; the poor thing in constant terror, her mind unsure of how to deal with it all, unable to keep the nightmares at bay.

The background noise seemed to suddenly change; Beck and Jade must have finished. I heard them shifting about, redressing and rearranging themselves to sleep, whispering to each other.

It must be nice, I thought, to have each other for automatic consoling. Because while we all tried to keep spirits up, Beck and Jade's comfort towards each other seemed different; more assuring. They had someone here who loved them, and was determined to keep them safe.

Cat's cries became sniffles as she fell into a fitful sleep, my jumpsuit clutched in her fists. I didn't know how much longer I could go on doing this. I was losing faith, and that thought filled me with despair.

I just wanted to be home again.

**_(Excerpt from Chapter Eight of _****'The War That Left Us Broken'****_ 'Part I')_**

**xxxxxx**

**_(10:02am, 13_****_th_****_ April 2011)_**

It was becoming too much of a liability. We couldn't keep up like this for much longer.

We really had to find some new clothes.

We hadn't been able to leave our shed much. Robbie and Beck had already gone to the nearby village to gather us some food, but dressed in these orange prison jumpsuits meant we didn't have much hope of blending in, or sneaking around. We needed normal clothes.

Quite desperately.

Stealing some new clothes wasn't going to be easy. For one, only two of us could go, and they'd have to grab enough clothes for all of us, which would be hard to find. And secondly, none of us could decide who it would be.

"This isn't going anywhere." Beck sighed. "Obviously no one wants to volunteer. We need a different tactic."

"Why don't we just choose this logically?" Robbie suggested.

"Logically how?" I asked.

"Well, think about it. Trina can't go, because of her ankle, and neither can Cat, because well…" He glanced over at Cat, who was sitting alone on her bed, staring at the wall. She still hadn't spoken; and all she did was eat and sleep. And cry.

Robbie continued. "Um, well, it's Beck's turn to be on watch, so he shouldn't go. And since Beck and I went to get food, I shouldn't have to go either."

"Well I'm not going either." Jade said stubbornly. "If Beck stays, I stay."

Even in these extreme circumstances, Jade was still her wonderful, charming self.

With everyone else too tired, or unwilling to challenge her, it was decided that Andre and I would go.

As we unwillingly trudged off, I couldn't calm my breathing. As much as I wished it would be as straightforward as walking in and taking what we needed, nothing was ever that simple.

Not anymore.

We closed in on the village, hearing the bustling sounds of daily life, and I could swear everybody that lived there was out that day, ready to spot a pair of American teenagers in orange jumpsuits.

We slinked forward, flattening ourselves along a house wall, exchanging anxious glances, no real plan at all.

Andre peeked out towards the main square.

"What do you see?" I murmured.

"It doesn't look that bad," He whispered back, "and I think I see some clothes. Have a look and tell me if there's a washing basket outside the house up on the left."

I followed Andre's instruction and sure enough, sitting underneath a naked clothesline, was a wicker washing basket brimming with clothes. It seemed our only option and so I guess we just had to hope there was enough.

"So, who's going to get them?"

"Scissors, paper, rock?" I suggested, unsure.

Andre shrugged, agreeing, and held out his hand.

I lost.

Andre nudged me forward, and I shot him a glare. I couldn't go through the square; that would just be suicide. I sneak around the back of the houses, swearing I had a heart attack when I rounded a corner and was almost spotted by two men, chatting casually beside a few barrels.

The basket was now in my sight, and I crouched low, practically crawling; my palms sweaty and breathing shallow. I glanced around, the only people in the square, had their backs to me. It was probably the only chance I was going to get. I grasped onto the basket and dragged it back, clasping it to my chest. I stood silent for a second, certain I had been spotted, someone had noticed. I breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened, and stood up with the basket, making my way back to Andre as quickly as I could.

When we returned, the boys sorted through the pile quickly, grabbing whatever was closest to put on, grateful for the change of clothes.

Trina eyed it with a disgusted look on her face.

"They're not exactly pretty," She grumbled, picking a skirt up between her fingers warily.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; they were all out of Prada." I said sarcastically.

"Well, I'll have these ones." Jade pulled out a black skirt and top, holding them up to her body. No surprises there. I chose a striped pair for myself, but Trina snatched up the patterned one before I could grab it for Cat, claiming it was the closet to pink or purple she could get, and wasn't going to give that up. I took a cream pair instead for Cat and helped her into them.

Now that was sorted, we began planning to move on the next morning, to try to find, or contact, the American Embassy, and the day passed quickly, the sun beginning to set.

"I'm hungry," Jade complained, getting up and rummaging through the perishables stacked up in the corner. "Oh look. More canned food. I feel like a dog."

"I think the food is the least of our problems." I shot back. "We're trying to get back to America here, in case you hadn't noticed. We're stuck in this God forsaken place and all you seem to be doing is whining and holding us back."

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but Beck held up his hand, mediating.

"Just stop, we need—"

A bullet exploded through the wall, imbedding itself in the blanket pile.

"Soldiers!" Beck bellowed. "Run!"

We didn't have time to think or talk, we just had to go. "Trina!" I cried, moving towards her, realising she wouldn't be able to run.

"Go! I've got her!" Robbie shouted.

More shots fired, and I swear I felt one buzz right past me. I saw Andre reach out and grab Cat by the arm, hauling her out of the shed. I ran blindly for the forest, stumbling over a few loose branches, my heart in my mouth, my throat dry. I wasn't going fast enough; I was going to be caught any second. Andre and I had been so careful; how had this happened?

I couldn't see any soldiers, only hearing the guns, but risking looking back would slow me down. I spotted a flash of black through the trees, my heart seeming to explode before I realised it was Jade. I caught up beside her and we silently raced through the forest.

But the soldiers were catching up; I could hear the pounding of boots close behind. There was no way we could out run all of them. We had to find somewhere to hide. I spotted a clump of dense bushes, and dived behind them, pulling Jade down with me.

"Hey!"

"Shush! They're coming!"

Jade glared at me, fury in her eyes.

"They must have followed you back!" She hissed. "This is your fault!"

"Is this really the time?! Just shut up!"

Jade glowered at me for a second longer, and but stayed silent.

The leaves and branches grated at my skin, and there wasn't a lot of room underneath, so we had to squat to stay hidden. It seemed like hours that we waited there in fear. My legs were cramped by the time we deemed it safe enough to leave and they groaned as I stood up, stiffening.

"We need to find the others." Jade stated, glancing around at the thick underbrush. She pointed at some non-descript trees. "I think the shed's back that way. Hopefully the others will have the same idea and double back."

It wasn't a great plan, but it was the only one we had, so I begrudgingly followed. At least it was also stretching out my legs. We called out as we walked back towards what we thought was the direction of the shed, waiting to hear someone's faint cry back. But no such luck.

We must have walked for miles before we finally found the shed again. It was completely abandoned, no signs of anyone. We both looked at each other, desperately thinking the same thing; we couldn't be alone, that was much too terrifying.

Panicked, we started screaming, not caring about if any soldiers were still nearby.

"Beck!"

"Trina! Andre!"

"Beck!"

No answer. Just silence.

And then there were two.

**_(Excerpt from Chapter Eight of _****'The War That Left Us Broken'****_ 'Part I')_**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

**_(Tori)_**

**_(8:15am, 21_****_st_****_ April 2011)_**

"Jade, we need to move on. We can't stay here any longer."

"If we leave, we'll never see them again."

I didn't answer. Neither of us wanted to accept it, but the chance of ever seeing the others was a slim one.

All we could do now is concentrate on surviving, and getting back home.

She still blamed me for everything; that Andre and I had lured the soldiers back; that we weren't careful enough; weren't watching out properly.

Finally, though begrudgingly, I managed to get Jade to follow me outside. She suddenly seemed to want all the control, telling me that we should go through the forest, as out in empty land we'd be sitting ducks. I wasn't so sure, seeing as soldiers could hide much easier in the bushland, but I was too exhausted to argue.

So we trudged through the forest, Jade constantly speeding ahead, as if she was trying to lose me. My arms and legs were constantly scraped and bruised by hanging branches, and I was really vying to find somewhere or something viable. We needed a plan; we couldn't just keep wandering around hopelessly.

The trees began to thin out, a small gurgling creek separating the land. I was keeping myself on guard, straining to hear for any cracking twigs or rustling leaves, so I was completely unprepared for the sudden loud noise that sliced through my concentration.

I shrieked and whirled around to see Jade standing there, a gun pointed straight forward. The leaves rustled beside me; and a figure staggering out, sprawling out on the ground, a bullet imbedded in his chest, crimson blood oozing out of the wound.

I let out a choked sob, unable to tear my eyes away.

He was definitely dead. And Jade had killed him.

I stare at her, but she's not even shaking, and she just tossed the gun away like nothing happened.

"Jade… _what did you_ _do_?" I whispered, bringing my hand up to my mouth. I was scared to ask where she'd picked the gun up, and why. I didn't want to know what had ran through her head.

"I just saved your life; a thank you would be appreciated." Her voice was clipped, cold. "Now let's keep moving, I think I can see a house through those trees."

Jade pushed me forward, and I took a few stumbled steps before regaining my footing. I closed my eyes as we walked past the dead man, though unable to get the image of his cold, staring eyes.

Jade was in fact right; there was a house through the gap in the forest. It stood in a bare clearing; lonesome and haunting.

It was very run down, broken. Many of the boards were hanging off the sides, and I could already spot holes in the roof. Any paint that was left on the wood was peeling badly, and it looked very, very tiny. But we didn't need a palace; all we needed was a place to stay.

I pushed open the door with the material of my skirt, cringing at the terrible creaking sound. It was pretty bare, but I could still see plates, cutlery, table and chairs, all in disarray, like someone abandoned it in a hurry. I opened the door to the side, revealing what seemed to be a bedroom; three grotty mattresses were cramped together, six or seven dumped blankets between them. Everything here was pretty revolting but it was a place to stay, and we could probably scrub everything clean with boiling water. Suddenly, I heard a scream.

"Jade?" The final door, one on the back wall, had been swung open, and Jade quickly ran back inside, swatting and brushing at her clothes.

"Jade? What's wrong?"

"There's a fucking vampire moth nest out there!" She screeched, visibly shaking with repulsion.

"Were you bitten?"

"No, but they still touched me!"

"What's out there?" I really didn't want to look myself, not until I'd found something to use as a bug spray.

Jade's lips curled up in disgust. "I think it's a bathroom. Emphasis on think."

"Well, at least it's something," I said, "And it's probably the best we're going to find."

Jade peeked through the bedroom door, and I knew she wasn't going to be happy. And I was right. "I am _not_ sleeping there."

"You don't really have a choice, unless you want to just sleep on the ground. Now, some stuff needs to be cleaned."

Jade sulked the whole time, but she kitchen stuff outside; we took them out the front, neither of us willing to brave out the back off the house just yet. I figured the mattresses were a lost cause, so we didn't even attempt to drag them out. I found a large pot sitting in what seemed to be a fire pit, and at least there were some matches beside it. I filled it up with water and waited for it to boil. We didn't have soap or anything of the like, but this would have to do.

We managed to shove everything into the pot, and left them to soak. The sun is beginning to set, and my stomach started rumbling. I hadn't realised how starving I was until there was nothing else to really think about. I search through the cupboards and drawers, but find nothing except mothballs and what seems to be a can of mould.

"Nothing," Jade grumbled.

"Nothing here either." I sighed. "We'll just have to go hungry until morning, when it's safe to go out." Jade just rolled her eyes and stalked off into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

I guess that meant I was on look-out. My mind was still buzzing from this afternoon; seeing that body on the ground, suddenly no longer living. It was all too surreal; like a dream. He could have been sleeping, unconscious; if his eyes hadn't been open, lifeless. I shivered involuntarily.

After what seemed to be two hours or so, my eyes began to droop, and I decided it was my turn to sleep. I stretched myself out and walked over to the bedroom door. I was stopped in my tracks, however, by a sound coming from inside.

Crying.

Jade was crying.

For some reason, the situation suddenly felt all the more hopeless.

**_(Excerpt from Chapter One of _****'The War That Left Us Broken'****_ 'Part II')_**


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

**_(Jade)_**

**_(7:09 am, 11_****_th_****_ May 2011)_**

The next morning, Tori was up earlier than usual. Sleep didn't come that easy these days, but the night before had been exhausting. I would have been dead to the world until midday if Tori hadn't slipped on her blanket and accidentally kicked me in the head.

"Ow, Vega," I snapped, "I'm trying to sleep here. What's the rush?"

"Sorry, sorry. Just go back to sleep. Sorry." She replied hastily, grabbing her boots from against the wall.

It was still dark; the first signs of light barely filtering over the horizon. Not exactly prime venturing time.

"Vega, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

Tori shifted on her feet. "I'm, um...well...I, uh, need to find a drugstore."

"Why? Got a headache you can't get rid of? Cause I'm sure it's nothing a slap from me can't fix."

Tori's cheeks flushed; embarrassed. "_No..._I need some...uh, _tampons. _And I can't use anything here. We need it all."

I went to retort, taking pleasure in Tori's discomfort, but then a thought flashed through my mind.

"Oh."

"Oh...what?"

What day was it today? 12th May? 13th? No, that's wrong; it had to be earlier than that. "Uh, Vega, what's the date today?"

"May 11th. Why?"

"No, that can't be right."

"Uh, well, it is. We saw the date in the village yesterday, remember?"

Oh God. How did I not realise until now?

"Jade? What's wrong?"

My period was over two weeks late.

I repeated this stonily to Tori. She opened her mouth to say something, then second guessed herself, and closed it. But before I could speak again she decided she was going to say something and interrupted me.

"You and Beck...um I mean you could be...uh, when we were with the others, you and Beck..."

"How exactly are you going to be finishing that sentence?"

Tori took a deep breath. "When we were with the others, you and Beck had sex. You...you _could _be pregnant Jade."

"Uh, no, not possible. Beck had condoms in his wallet. We might have been scared and stressed and not thinking all that straight, but we're not stupid. We used them."

"But, uh," Tori paused when she caught my glare. "Condoms can break, can't they? They don't _always _work."

I dismissed her bluntly. "No. Not possible." I repeat. "It's probably just from the stress. That's all. Things like that can affect periods and stuff. That's all it is. It had to be."

I know I was being quite stubborn at that moment, and that pregnancy was a real possibility, but I thought hopefully that if I just focused on the stress theory, all would be okay.

Power of the mind.

Tori left without another word, and I spent the entire time she was gone banishing unwanted thoughts from creeping into my mind. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to do, since cleaning anything was a hopeless cause, and entertainment wasn't easily sourced. And it didn't help matters when the first thing Tori did when she returned, around an hour later, was to slide something across the bench in my direction.

Pregnancy tests.

I growled as I hurled them straight back at her, offended. She merely shrugged, said, "They're there if you want them," and went to the bathroom.

By midafternoon, the tests we're still laying on the floor, causing my heart to race every time I looked at them. I tried to tell myself that it was stupid. That I was worrying for nothing. But that worry was eating right through me. I had to know.

Tori was smart enough to stay silent as I snatched the boxes off the floor and marched towards the bathroom. My hands were already shaking as I closed the door best I could. That wasn't a good sign.

The instructions were in Yerbanian, but the tests looked pretty westernised, so I was sure it was the same concept. Pee on the stick and then wait for the results.

Holding the stupid thing steady was trickier than I had anticipated. I then set it down beside me, waiting for what had to be the longest minute of my life. My heart and my lungs refused to calm as I reached out again to see the outcome.

I didn't need to read the instructions to understand what the plus sign meant.

There was no way this could possibly be true. It was a Yerbanian pregnancy test after all. Surely there had to be a huge margin of error on these things.

Within the next two hours, I'd taken every fucking test in those boxes.

And all six of them presented a positive.

I screamed and threw them across the bathroom with such force the mirror splintered in the centre.

Tori appeared in the doorway. "Jade…" she said uncertainly.

"This can't be happening." I whispered, "Dear God this can't be real."

Her eyes flitted quickly to the used tests now scattered on the floor. Her face became emotionless once she saw the results, and she said the most unhelpful question I had ever heard. "What are you going to do?"

I stared at her for a full five seconds. It made her quite uncomfortable, and she realised maybe she shouldn't have spoken. But yet, she did again. "Obviously we're just going to have to think about this…"

I found my voice. And my retort was harsh. "No, there's absolutely nothing to think about. It has to go. A baby will slow us down. How are we supposed to sneak around while I'm pregnant, much less with a crying baby?"

"And so you'll do what Jade? Get an abortion; in a country with abysmal health care? You'd die. You know that. Our only option is to leave it on the side of the road, or on a doorstep."

"Our? Our!" I snarled "It's not your body Tori! You don't get a fucking say!"

"But you know I'm right! It's suicidal to think anything else will work."

I hated admitting she was right, but, unfortunately, she was. Any abortion clinic here would probably be some guy in his basement with a coat hanger. I couldn't risk it. But there had to be another way. Had to be.

"You shouldn't really be all this surprised, you know. I mean, it is technically…" Tori stopped suddenly, biting her lip. My eyes turned to slits.

"What, go on, finish what you were going to say? That this is my fault? And I need to just put up with the consequences? Well, just because I'm left with the aftermath doesn't mean that it didn't take…"

God.

Beck.

What would he say?

No, I wouldn't think about him. I couldn't. He wasn't here; I might never even see him again. He could be dead.

Tori spoke up again, quieter this time, "You're right Jade, I can't tell you want to do." She looked me steadily in the eye, as if reading my mind. "But, with your logic, doesn't Beck at least deserve to have a say?"

"Well Beck's not here, is he?" I reminded her coldly. "And I've made my decision."

He never had to know.

**_(Excerpt from Chapter Two of _****'The War That Left Us Broken'****_ 'Part II')_**


End file.
